Hit and run suspect bonds out, victim's family wants justice

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Family members of an elderly man killed in a hit-and-run crash Friday are upset the woman who fled the scene, according to deputies, is out on bond.

"When you don't get punished, you become invincible, and she thinks that she can do whatever she wants and walks away. That shouldn't be the way it is," said Linda Lockhart, daughter in-law-of the victim.

Jennifer Race, 28, of Tampa made arrangements with her attorney to turn herself in at the Orient Road Jail on Sunday.

Authorities say she was driving a stolen 2015 Cadillac SRX Friday afternoon, October 2, when she hit Larry Lockhart, 83, on the driver's side of his vehicle at Sheldon Road and Wood Lake Boulevard.

Surveillance video from a nearby gas station shows a woman, believed to be Race, walking away from the crash scene and hitching a ride.

"Here's a man that worked his whole life. He's 83-years-old, helped his family, helped people around him, and you just walk away from him?" questioned Lockhart.

Race has a long history of traffic and criminal citations, according to Hillsborough County Court records.

“You look at the driving record, and you see an individual that’s had multiple citations, has been in trouble several times for their driving, and apparently doesn’t seem to have any remorse or anything about it," said Debbie Carter, spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

Race has had 27 prior citations for incidents including driving without a license, driving without tags and careless driving.

The stolen car Race is believed to have been driving on Friday was taken from a car rental facility in Orlando, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Within four hours of turning herself in on Sunday, Race got out of jail on a $100,000 bond.

“All of the charges have a bond that goes with those, they’re set by the judge, and if the person is able to bond out, they’re able to bond out, said Carter.

Race is facing charges of leaving the scene of a crash involving a death and being a habitual traffic offender.

"She needs to be taken off the street, and she needs to be held accountable before she hurts someone else," said Lockhart.